U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,935 to Waline discloses a coffee brewing basket for holding disposable coffee bags. The brewing basket is substantially square and has two handles on opposite sides. The disposable coffee bags include a water impervious layer with holes leading to coffee retaining chambers. Filter layers capture the coffee in the chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,795,535 to Anders discloses a tea infuser comprising a gauze bag, a stick or rod which appears to function as a handle, and a string for tying the bag to the stick or rod.
The following patents disclose additional background art: U.S. Pat. No. 2,370,096; U.S. Pat. No. 2,401,529; U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,389; U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,590; U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,557; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,147.
Coffee bags manufactured by Mini Minit Products Ltd. may be utilized to retain coffee in a pouch. The pouch is then placed in the hot water in a coffee cup. Reusable brew bags manufactured by NorPro utilize a high quality cotton bag which is cinch closed by a string.